


Count on Me Your Whole Life Through

by manesalex



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Married Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2020-09-01 01:45:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20250130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manesalex/pseuds/manesalex
Summary: Alex is hurt on a mission. Michael just wants to take care of him.





	Count on Me Your Whole Life Through

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my excellent beta and friend, [InsidiousIntent](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsidiousIntent/pseuds/InsidiousIntent). For [eveningspirit](https://eveningspirit.tumblr.com/). Thank you to Jess and Beka for your feedback and support.

“I’m fine, Guerin,” Alex insists, reaching for his crutches. He’s been home and on the couch for about fifteen minutes and is clearly already over Michael trying to take care of him.

“You can do your work from home,” Michael argues. “And I can bring your laptop to you. Kyle said you needed to rest and heal.”

Alex rolls his eyes, “This is nothing. Just a sprain,” he gestures toward his right knee, which is currently propped up on a pillow, a bag of frozen vegetables resting on it.

“Yeah, and if it had been worse, you could have needed surgery, Alex.” Michael sighs, bringing up the one thing he knows will get Alex to give in, “In sickness and in health, remember? Pretty sure injuries from your reckless heroics count as ‘sickness’.”

“It wasn’t reckless. It was perfectly calculated,” Alex argues, a smile spreading across his face, in spite of himself. Michael knows that all he has to do is play the husband card and Alex will fold completely, just happy that, after so many false starts, they finally worked it out. Not that it’s any different for Michael, who still can’t believe that, at long last, Alex Guerin is his.

“Okay,” Michael humors him. “You want your laptop or do you want to just relax and watch a movie?”

“I need to get some work done,” Alex sighs, scrubbing a hand over his face and through his dark, messy hair.

Michael leans over and gives Alex a gentle kiss, just a brush of lips against his, that Alex tries unsuccessfully to chase for more. Michael knows he needs rest and, well, when they get started, they rarely ever stop. So, instead, he goes to get his husband’s laptop, carrying it back over to the couch.

And then he plops down next to Alex, encouraging him to shift until his knees are on Michael’s lap, tossing the pillow to the floor and using his mind to put the veggies back in the freezer.

Michael tunes out the rapid clicking of the keys, but finds himself listening to the noises Alex makes. An irritated huff of breath one moment, tapping his fingers against the keyboard while he thinks the next. He doesn’t have to look up to know the look on Alex’s face. The wrinkled brow, the way he chews on his full lower lip. And, yeah, Michael definitely shouldn’t look right now.

Instead he focuses on massaging Alex’s stump, careful to be gentle around the knee, but softly rubbing ointment into skin irritated by overuse of his prosthetic.Tenderly stroking Alex’s knee, afraid to hurt him further.

Michael was terrified when he saw Kyle’s name on his caller ID. Kyle never called him unless it had to do with Alex. And Alex was on some mission that had to do with reconnaissance for taking down another part of Project Shepard. He had sworn to Michael that it was safe, that it was simple, that he’d be fine. And that he didn’t want Michael coming with him because they were  _ looking _ for aliens. Alex wasn’t going to lead one right to them. He had spent the last three years trying to protect Michael and his siblings, including that horrible time when he and Michael weren’t speaking.

Michael had spent the entire time terrified that Alex would be killed, that he’d lose the one person who meant the most to him, the person he’d still choose over the stars themselves every time.

So, when that call came, Michael was halfway to total panic, hands shaking so badly he could barely answer the call.

“Where’s Alex? Is he okay?” Michael had asked immediately, already fumbling for his keys and heading toward the cabin door.

“Bro, chill. Alex is fine. He just sprained his ACL and keeps insisting he can drive home, but he shouldn’t be wearing his prosthetic. He’ll need to use his crutches for a bit. I hoped you could talk some sense into him.”

So Michael had found himself rushing over to the hospital like it was an actual emergency, just grateful that no one caught him speeding and kept him from Alex for even longer.

Michael glances up at Alex, who is watching him, an uncertain expression on his face.

“You were really worried, weren’t you,” Alex states more than asks.

Michael refocuses on Alex’s leg, massaging his strong thigh muscles as he speaks, afraid that, if he looks up into Alex’s eyes, he’ll fall apart. “I worry every time, Alex. I know you. You’re brave and capable and so very smart. But you’re still… Human. And so frustratingly selfless. You don’t have to keep risking your life for me.”

“My family did this to yours, Guerin.”

Michael doesn’t look up, “They’re not your family anymore, Alex. Not by anything more than blood.”

“But I-”

“I get that you feel like you have to do this, darlin’. And I’m not going to fight you on it. Just… Take someone with you next time?”  


He can hear the fond smile in Alex’s voice. “Deal.” Alex is silent for a moment, probably going over the options in his head and landing on just one who he could take without worrying too much about them, “I bet Jenna would be up for it.”

Michael smiles, “Maybe you should ask her. After Kyle has signed off on it.”

They are both silent for a while longer, Alex focused on his laptop, Michael reverently tracing the scars on what’s left of Alex’s right leg.

When Alex shifts in his lap, Michael finally looks up to find him setting his laptop aside.

“I think I’m ready to watch that movie now. If you’ll stay here with me.”

Michael grins, grabbing the remote and leaning back, letting Alex shift around until he’s comfortable, resting with his head on Michael’s shoulder, hand sneaking behind Michael’s lower back, fingertips sliding beneath the edge of his shirt, clearly more for contact than an attempt towards anything else. Michael wraps his own arm around Alex’s shoulders, pulling him just a little bit closer.

Then he hits play, paying more attention to Alex’s steady warmth against him than the movie they both know by heart.

They’re halfway through  _ A New Hope _ and Michael is pretty sure Alex is mostly asleep when he hears, “Michael?"

“Yeah, darlin’?” He responds, continuing to brush his fingers through Alex’s soft, dark hair.

“Thank you. For always being here for me.” It’s little more than a whisper.

Michael turns to kiss the top of Alex’s head, inhaling the woodsy smell of Alex’s favorite shampoo, before answering, “Nowhere else I’d rather be.”


End file.
